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Particularly in the crosshairs
Particularly in the crosshairs
Sitara Celina Rajh
April 4, 2025
LFI: What moved you to produce this project?
Sitara Celina Rajh: I’ve been reporting from Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion in 2022. One subject that I’ve been following intensively is the question of queer life in the country, and how it has changed with the war. Above all, because of the threat from Russia. My Fragile as Glass book dealt with this and was published in 2024 by Kettler. In early 2024, when I read the first reports by human rights organisations about the imprisonment, humiliation and even torture of queer people in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, it quickly became clear to me that this issue, these human rights violations, needed to be brought to light. I asked my Ukrainian colleague, Yana Radchenko, if she could envision doing research with me. Then, after receiving confirmation of a research grant from N_Ost, we began a month-long search for documents and affected people.
What kind of difficulties/challenges were you faced with there?
Researching alleged war crimes poses a number of major challenges. The territories occupied by Russia are of course not accessible to critical journalists. We can only guess at many of the crimes that are happening there. That’s why we were only able to speak to people who managed to escape from those cities and places. What’s more, many of those affected simply don’t want to talk to journalists. There’s a great fear of further hostility. In addition, the psychological stress of having to retell what they’ve experienced can lead to renewed trauma. Yana herself has lived under occupation and is part of the LGBTQ community, which is why she was able to conduct the interviews with the needed sensitivity. Furthermore, several NGOs that document extensive cases provided us with their reports and recordings.
What do you hope to convey with your pictures?
As a photographer, it’s not easy to illustrate such an abstract subject. This is why I gave thought beforehand to which form of presentation was important and worked for the topic. In the end, I decided first of all to show queer life and to focus visually on those affected. It’s very important to me to give a face to the reports, to show the people who confided in us. I want the viewer to be able to enter the world of the LGBTQ community in Ukraine and build a relationship in order to counteract the constant dehumanisation. In addition, the photos should reflect exactly what Russia wants to erase: queer life in Ukraine. LGBTQ activism.
How exactly has the situation worsened for those affected by the war?
The biggest danger for the community exists in the areas occupied by Russia. In the city of Cherson, where most of the crimes against queer people that we revealed took place, we know that Russian troops have ransacked and vandalised at gunpoint the premises of the human rights organisation Insha, which supports LGBTQ people. But there are other problems as well. For example, same-sex marriages are not yet legal in Ukraine. This is a challenge for the partners of soldiers who don’t have the same rights as a married couple. So, when a partner dies at the front, it’s not legally clear if the partner can have access to the body. Another important point is the flight of LGBTQ people. Many people who flee find refuge in private homes. For queer people, this can lead to their experiencing discrimination while on the run.
Katja HübnerSitara Celina Rajh: I’ve been reporting from Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion in 2022. One subject that I’ve been following intensively is the question of queer life in the country, and how it has changed with the war. Above all, because of the threat from Russia. My Fragile as Glass book dealt with this and was published in 2024 by Kettler. In early 2024, when I read the first reports by human rights organisations about the imprisonment, humiliation and even torture of queer people in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, it quickly became clear to me that this issue, these human rights violations, needed to be brought to light. I asked my Ukrainian colleague, Yana Radchenko, if she could envision doing research with me. Then, after receiving confirmation of a research grant from N_Ost, we began a month-long search for documents and affected people.
What kind of difficulties/challenges were you faced with there?
Researching alleged war crimes poses a number of major challenges. The territories occupied by Russia are of course not accessible to critical journalists. We can only guess at many of the crimes that are happening there. That’s why we were only able to speak to people who managed to escape from those cities and places. What’s more, many of those affected simply don’t want to talk to journalists. There’s a great fear of further hostility. In addition, the psychological stress of having to retell what they’ve experienced can lead to renewed trauma. Yana herself has lived under occupation and is part of the LGBTQ community, which is why she was able to conduct the interviews with the needed sensitivity. Furthermore, several NGOs that document extensive cases provided us with their reports and recordings.
What do you hope to convey with your pictures?
As a photographer, it’s not easy to illustrate such an abstract subject. This is why I gave thought beforehand to which form of presentation was important and worked for the topic. In the end, I decided first of all to show queer life and to focus visually on those affected. It’s very important to me to give a face to the reports, to show the people who confided in us. I want the viewer to be able to enter the world of the LGBTQ community in Ukraine and build a relationship in order to counteract the constant dehumanisation. In addition, the photos should reflect exactly what Russia wants to erase: queer life in Ukraine. LGBTQ activism.
How exactly has the situation worsened for those affected by the war?
The biggest danger for the community exists in the areas occupied by Russia. In the city of Cherson, where most of the crimes against queer people that we revealed took place, we know that Russian troops have ransacked and vandalised at gunpoint the premises of the human rights organisation Insha, which supports LGBTQ people. But there are other problems as well. For example, same-sex marriages are not yet legal in Ukraine. This is a challenge for the partners of soldiers who don’t have the same rights as a married couple. So, when a partner dies at the front, it’s not legally clear if the partner can have access to the body. Another important point is the flight of LGBTQ people. Many people who flee find refuge in private homes. For queer people, this can lead to their experiencing discrimination while on the run.
ALL IMAGES ON THIS PAGE: © Sitara Celina Rajh
EQUIPMENT: Leica SL2, Apo-Summicron-SL 50 f/2 Asph
Sitara Celina Rajh+-
Born in 2002, the German photojournalist grew up in a worker family with Slovenian roots, and currently lives in Kyiv. Her work focuses mainly on under-reported aspects of conflicts. She deals primarily with questions of gender, migration and human rights' violations – in Germany, the Balkans, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Rajh frequently integrates her works into voluntary educational activities, such as lectures and workshops at schools and youth centres. Her work is regularly exhibited and has been honoured repeatedly. Among other things, she and a team received the Grimme Online Award in 2022 for the multimedia report, Kandvala. Her project Particularity in the Crosshairs has been shortlisted for the Belfast Photo Festival 2025. She is represented by the Laif Agency. More
